Why trust GreenbotInexpensive smartphones have become more affordable more capable over the past few years. en Motorola first unveiled the Moto G product line, the device targeted emerging markets such as Brazil. And in Brazil, Motorola found tremendous success with the G lineup.
As technology continues to evolve get less expensive, Motorola packs more into each Moto G iteration, the company has wound up with a smartphone that rivals devices costing much more.
I’ve spent the past week using the $299 Moto G5 us with 4 GB of memory 64 GB of storage, a $70 bump over the $229 starting price for half the storage memory, it’s the best budget-friendly smartphone I’ve ever used.
An inspired design
Even the clock widget was borrowed from the Moto Z lineup.
The Moto G5 us looks a lot like the Moto Z, only it’s not nearly as thin. You either love or dislike (hate is too strong of a word) the circular camera hump on the back of the phone; I’m firmly in the dislike camp.
I didn’t like the look feel of the bump in my h on the Moto Z, I still am not sold on it on the G5 us.
That said, the G5 us isn’t ugly by any means. A metal backing —either gray or gold—encases the 5.2-inch 1080p display. On the right side of the phone, you find the power volume buttons. A microB port 3.5mm headphone jack adorn the bottom.
It’s disappointing Motorola is still using microB for charging syncing the G5 us, especially when you consider how common B-C is becoming.
st below the display is a touch sensitive home button that doubles as a fingerprint sensor a trackpad of sorts.
Moto software enhancements
I’m all for more screen real-estate, but converting the home button into a trackpad just isn’t for me.
Converting the home button into a trackpad is done through the pre-installed Moto app on the phone. thin that app, you can enable customizations enhancements Motorola has long included in its nearly-vanilla version of Android.
th the G5 us, you can do things such as enable Moto Display to quickly check triage notifications, or get rid of any onscreen navigation buttons — using gestures over the home button instead.
For example, when one-button navigation is enabled, swipe to the left over the home button replaces the back button, swipe to the right displays recently used apps. A quick tap on the home button goes home, with a long press locking the phone.
Additionally, holding the G5 us making a chopping motion as if you are holding an ax toggles the flashlight.
Overall, the features that Motorola includes with its Moto app are optional in addition to the stard features found in Android 7.0 Nougat. Some of them I can’t live without when using a Moto device, such as the flashlight or camera shortcuts, while others (Ex: one button nav) is better left turned off.
Camera performance
The hump is back, back again. The hump is back, it should be a sin.
I was in New York during my time testing the G5 us to learn more about Samsung’s Galaxy S8 launch. I had some free time one night, so I walked around es Square snapped some low light photos with the G5 us its 12-megapixel camera. th an f/1.7 aperture, it should have excelled.
On the Moto G5 us display, I thought the photos came out clear crisp. I was more than impressed with its performance. At least, that’s what I until I sat down at my computer to view the results.
Boy, this photo looked great on the phone’s display.
The picture of a taxi driving by, for example, has washed out colors in the signs over the shops the people walking in the crosswalk are a little blurry.
It’s not a bad photo at all; it’s just not what I was expecting after viewing it on the phone’s display.
Under normal lighting conditions, the G5 us performs well. Color reproduction is accurate, pixelation is minimal. at I love most about using the G5 us camera is the ability to quickly launch it with a turn of the wrist, regardless if the phone is locked or you’re in an app.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 processor is fast enough to carry out everyday smartphone chores, but not powerful enough for intense gaming sessions. I played Minecraft with a few hiccups or stutters here there.
Battery life on the Moto G5 us is phenomenal. Using ’s battery life benchmark test, the G5 us clocked in a score of 10 hours 17 minutes; over four hours longer than the ZTE Max o.
My real world usage matched up with the battery benchmark results, with the phone offering enough power to get through two days worth of traveling, romly used as a hotspot, snapping photos, replying to emails.
rth every penny
Unlike the Moto Z, the G5 us still has a headphone jack.
Try as I might to reconcile the $229 price tag for the G5 us, I can’t. Indeed, I have been testing the $299 model with double the RAM storage, but the point sts: The G5 us is priced way below its value. From the metal housing fast camera to battery life that’s enough to get through even the heaviest of work days, there’s a lot for Motorola to be proud of here.
Despite its extreme value, the G5 us would greatly benefit from adding NFC swapping B-C for its microB connector.
ether you’re on a budget looking for an affordable smartphone or you want to get something inexpensive for your child, the Moto G5 us is worth every penny.
Heck, I’ve even debated getting rid of my kids’ id touch, getting them each a Moto G5 us that I can control with ’s Family nk app.
